Projects in Attleboro, North Attleboro, Norton and Plainville included in 'minibus' spending bill
Several local projects are part of a multibillion-dollar spending package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week, the area’s congressman says.
The $600 billion, seven-bill “minibus,” which passed in a 219-208 vote Thursday, would increase budgets at several federal departments, and include millions of dollars for local projects favored by lawmakers, known as “earmarks,” after a decade-long ban on the practice.
U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Newton, said in a statement that several projects he included in the bills were approved in the House vote on the package.
“The investments included in this package will make our towns stronger and will lower costs for working families. They will make our water cleaner, our future greener, and our children healthier,” he said.
Local projects approved in the package include:
- $500,000 for the Manet Community Health Center Satellite Clinic planned for downtown Attleboro.
- $1.5 million for North Attleboro’s Ten-Mile River dredging project to mitigate flooding.
- $2 million for Attleboro-based New Hope’s new domestic violence shelter.
- $1.475 million for water well replacement in Norton.
- $1.5 million for expansion of Plainville’s water system capacity.
All of the items were included in Auchincloss’ community project funding requests.
Senate appropriators haven’t released their own spending drafts for next year, though the committee is expected to begin that process this week.
Congress must pass spending bills or a short-term continuing resolution by Sept. 30 to keep the government from being shut down when the new federal fiscal year starts on Oct. 1.
Source:
Tom Riley